Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management & Technology
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Download the degree guide for details on admission requirements, tuition, and courses.
Health Information Management and Health IT in One Online Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology (HIMT) is one of the only 100% online programs that includes courses in health information management (HIM) and health information technology (HIT). New regulations and technologies are changing the roles and educational requirements of health information professionals to include not only the governance of health information but the use and application of technology. As a student in the UW HIMT program, you’ll learn the skills needed to succeed in today’s technology-focused healthcare environments.
Gain skills in:
- Human resources management
- Financial and resource management
- Strategic planning and organizational development
- Programming and data structures
- Data, information, and storage structures
- Data security
- Information and communication technologies
Ultimately, you’ll learn how to expertly manage electronic health data and build the software and systems needed to manage, retrieve, and analyze that data to improve the future of healthcare delivery and patient care.
RELATED: HIM or HIT: Which Path is Right for You?
HIMT: A Degree in Demand
The career outlook for health information management and health IT professionals is bright. Advancements in technology have led to an evolution and expansion of the health information workforce.
Employment opportunities for medical records and health information specialists are expected to increase 17 percent between 2021 and 2031, while medical and health services manager jobs, which includes health information management, is expected to increase 28 percent. Combined, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts nearly 75,000 job openings in related occupations each year over the next decade.
Who Should Apply?
The UW HIMT program is a smart choice for busy adult learners who want to advance their careers in health information while balancing work, family, and other commitments. Courses are 100% online and can be completed on your schedule and from anywhere in the world. Busy adults will find the flexibility of the online format especially convenient. Learn more about online learning with UW.
As a bachelor’s completion program, the HIMT degree is a great option for anyone with existing, transferable college credits who wants to complete their degree. Find more information on transferring credits here.
Already have a bachelor’s degree? The HIMT program offers a 24-credit Post-Baccalaureate Certificate for bachelor’s degree-holders in any discipline.
Interested in earning your Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential? The UW HIMT degree program is CAHIIM accredited, which qualifies graduates of both the bachelor’s degree and the post-baccaleureate certificate to sit for the RHIA exam.
Discover Exciting, High Paying Career Opportunities
A UW HIMT degree can be the foundation for a variety of positions, such as: health information manager, supervisory health system specialist, informaticist, director of analytics, coding specialist, data management and analytic specialist, medical staff services specialist, and clinical documentation improvement specialist, just to name a few.
RELATED: Our HIMT Students
Universities of Wisconsin Collaboration
The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management & Technology is a partnership of UW-Green Bay, UW-Parkside, and UW-Stevens Point. Learn more about our campus partners and choosing a home campus.
Accreditations
Whether online or on campus, University of Wisconsin programs have a reputation for delivering world-class education and student support. Accreditation is your assurance that you will graduate with skills that are relevant to your field and valued by employers. The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management & Technology is approved by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
CAHIIM
The UW HIMT degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) at UW-Green Bay, UW-Parkside, and UW-Stevens Point. Completing a CAHIIM-accredited program qualifies you to sit for industry credentialing exams such as the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) offered by American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
RELATED: CAHIIM Accreditation and its Benefits for Students: Explained
HIMSS
As a result of meeting the Healthcare Information and Management System Society’s (HIMSS) rigorous standards for quality health IT or healthcare education, the UW Health Information Management and Technology program has been named an Approved Education Partner and Academic Organizational Affiliate of HIMSS.
To be eligible for the UW Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology students must meet the following requirements:
- Approximately 45-60 transferable general education credits with a 2.0 minimum grade point average (GPA). There are options available for those who do not meet this general education requirement, such as potentially taking them through your chosen home campus or through one of these associate degrees. Please contact an enrollment adviser for more information.
- Prerequisite coursework in college algebra, communications, and biology; anatomy and physiology suggested but not required
- Official college transcripts
Application Deadlines
Your online application and all required materials must be submitted to your preferred home campus generally 2-4 weeks prior to the date classes start (this varies by campus) to be considered for admission.
Starting your application early will help ensure you have plenty of time to gather required materials (such as transcripts), transfer credits, apply for financial aid, and complete the University of Wisconsin System Online Admission Application.
How to Apply
While you are free to apply on your own, many prospective students find it helpful to speak with an enrollment adviser first.
Step 1. Select a “home” campus: UW-Green Bay, UW-Parkside, or UW-Stevens Point. Learn more about our campus partners and choosing a home campus.
Step 2. Apply to your preferred home campus using the University of Wisconsin System Online Admission Application. Choose the “Health Information Mngt&Tech-Collaborative” program. There is no application fee for all undergraduate degree seeking applicants (domestic and international).
Step 3. Send official college transcripts from all institutions attended directly to the home campus admissions office to which you are applying. If you have an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or equivalent coursework, the ACT or SAT is not required.
Formal admission to the program will be determined by the campus to which you apply.
International Guidelines
This program welcomes online students from around the world. Online students do not qualify for an F-1 Student Visa to travel to the U.S. but instead can participate in our online courses remotely. If your native language is not English and/or you attended school outside of the U.S., you will likely need to provide proof of English language proficiency and an official translation or evaluation of academic transcripts. Requirements will vary based on a student’s academic history and home campus policies. For guidance about these requirements and how they apply to your specific situation contact your preferred home campus admissions office.
If you would like to apply as an International Student for an on-campus program in the UW System please refer to these resources through UW-HELP.
The UW HIMT Program Curriculum
The 100% online Health Information Management and Technology program is a bachelor’s completion program, which means you can combine existing, transferable general education credits with the required HIMT courses, to complete your bachelor’s degree.
Two Tracks. One Degree. 100% Online.
The HIMT curriculum offers two tracks: Health Information Technology and Health Information Management. All HIMT students take 15 core courses, 4 track courses, a 1 credit capstone prep course and final capstone project course to finish the program, completing 21 courses for a total of 61 credits. There are no electives. Graduates will earn a concentration in Health Information Technology OR Health Information Management.
- 15 core courses (3 credits each)
- 4 track courses (3 credits each)
- 1 Capstone prep course (1 credit)
- 1 Capstone project course (3 credits)
>>Take a look at UW HIMT course: HIMT 430: Quality Assessment and Improvement
Core Courses
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
This course provides an overview of medical clinical workflow, with emphasis on inter-professional electronic documentation and functionalities of the electronic health record (EHR). Through hands-on experience, this course advances the students’ understanding of the electronic health record, health IT policies, data and database management systems in support of the EHR. | 3 Credits |
This course provides an overview of how healthcare and public health are organized and how their services are delivered in the United States. Topics to be covered include public policy (including U.S. health reform initiatives); organization of healthcare systems; components and operation of healthcare organizations, including e-health delivery; professional roles and accreditation; and legal and regulatory issues, including licensure requirements. | 3 Credits |
This course surveys essential healthcare information technologies that are used for delivering and documenting healthcare services. Popular healthcare information systems include electronic medical record systems that keep record of patients’ history; the computerized provider order-entry systems that record the history of the procurement of medications and other services; telemedicine, which allows doctors to deliver patient care from a distance; telehealth e-prescribing, which prescribes medicine electronically; medication administration, which keeps information for medical doctors and other hospital staff members; and nursing and ancillary service systems. This course requires the purchase of EHRGo, a certified electronic medical records system. | 3 Credits |
This course will examine specific terminology and vocabulary used healthcare providers and support staff. The focus of this course is on medical terminology which covers human anatomy and physiology, body systems, and diagnoses and procedures. The structure of medical terms will be examined—such as prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combined forms. Topics will also include healthcare taxonomies and nomenclatures (ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, etc.). Prerequisite(s): College biology or equivalent | 3 Credits |
This course introduces three broad subjects: (1) evidence-based medical ethics pertaining to healthcare information management; (2) framework of healthcare information security management, including security principles, policies and procedures, security management models, risk assessment, and protection mechanisms; (3) healthcare regulations and compliance with focuses on the legislative systems, policies, and legal environment of healthcare in the U.S. and the existing health information laws, regulations, and standards. Also addressed are the elements and development of compliance programs. | 3 Credits |
This is an introductory course in statistical methods for the health sciences. The course will emphasize the principles of statistical reasoning, underlying assumptions, hypothesis testing, and careful interpretation of results. Some topics covered: major study designs, descriptive statistics, graphical displays of data, probability, confidence intervals and tests for means, differences of means, sample size and power, differences of proportions, chi-square tests for categorical variables, regression, multiple regression, and non-parametric statistics. Prerequisite(s): College algebra or equivalent | 3 Credits |
This course further investigates the topics covered in HIMT 330 Health Care I: Terminology and Body Systems. On the basis of each body system, the course will further expand into the topics of human disease, human health issues, and classification of disease/health issues, including diagnostics, treatment, and clinical procedures that are currently in practice. In addition, the course will incorporate pharmacotherapeutic concepts (drugs and therapies to treat/prevent/control human disease/health issues), investigating the variety of drugs used for disease treatment for each body system. This will include the current biologicals that are used for treatment. Topics will include how the drugs and biologicals work, their limitations, and the current diversity of available drugs and biologicals. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems | 3 Credits |
This is the first course in a two-course sequence that addresses methods and techniques of healthcare information system analysis and design as performed within the system development life cycle. Included will be techniques for problem definition, requirements gathering, analysis, logical design, and selection and evaluation of alternative healthcare information systems solutions from the point of view of the health provider and user. An emphasis is placed on analysis, selection, and evaluation of information systems as they relate to healthcare. This course requires the purchase of EHRGo, a certified electronic medical records system. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 | 3 Credits |
This course examines the coding and reimbursement connection; topics include managed care plans, prospective payment systems, Medicare-Medicaid reimbursement, Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, case mix management, and revenue cycle management. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems; and HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments | 3 Credits |
This course explores the sources and data contents of healthcare information as well as the proper presentation of it for different usage levels. Topics addressed include: (1) data structure and use of health information (individual, comparative, and aggregate), (2) type and content of health record, (3) data quality assessment, (4) secondary data sources, (5) healthcare data sets, (6) health information archival systems, and (7) National Healthcare Information Infrastructure (NHII). The course will also cover topics in bioinformatics. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments | 3 Credits |
Covers the back-end stages of healthcare systems development life cycle through the procurement route: development of technical design specifications, procurement procedures (RFP, RFQ, vendor evaluation and selection, and contracting), systems configuration and integration, installation, conversion, operation, and maintenance. Pre-installation testing and post-conversion auditing and monitoring will be emphasized to address the upcoming requirements of federal certification of EHR systems. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 and HIMT 370 Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design | 3 Credits |
This course addresses the phenomenal impact information system (IS) projects have had on healthcare delivery. Students learn how healthcare IS projects affect organizations, doctors, patients, and chronic-illness treatments, as well as individuals interested in managing their own healthcare. Concepts and tools for effective healthcare IS project management, process re-engineering, and work redesign are introduced. The purpose of this course is to expose students to IS project management activities in healthcare settings. Topics covered include recent healthcare IS project trends, budgeting, scheduling, resource management, scope, risk analysis, and deployment controls. The genesis of healthcare project management is covered using specific cases and examples. | 3 Credits |
This course examines the quality assessment and quality improvement cycle (plan, do, check, act) and the role of the HIT/HIM professional in the process. Tools used in quality and risk management processes will be examined. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 350 Statistics for Healthcare | 3 Credits |
This course introduces students to the necessary group/team processes that are at the root of building, developing, and maintaining medical/healthcare work teams and the effective functioning of such teams. The course also provides an overview of leadership development techniques. Also included is a focus on the uses of various communication technologies in the team-building and functioning processes. | 3 Credits |
This course will be an introduction to healthcare information technology standards, including standards and regulations for documentation, and will cover health information standards. The course will also investigate software applications and enterprise architecture in healthcare and public health organizations. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 400: Healthcare Information and Technology—Data | 3 Credits |
This course is designed to help each student prepare for the capstone course and complete all required paperwork for submission in a timely manner. In addition to being an orientation to the capstone, the pre-capstone course serves as an RHIA/CAHIMS exam prep course. View our map of capstone sites for a list of participating capstone organizations. Prerequisite(s): At least one semester prior to being eligible to enroll in the capstone | 1 Credits |
This course is the capstone course for both tracks of the degree program. Students are required to find an internship site that is related to healthcare and set up a semester-long project from which they can gain hands-on experience in the areas of their concentration. Project setup will be jointly done by the student, site sponsor, and the faculty of this course, whereas internship supervision will be performed by the site supervisor and the course instructor. For inspiration and ideas, explore past capstone projects. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 420 Healthcare Systems: Project Management Last semester of study/last course before graduation/can be concurrent; approval from academic adviser and pre-capstone coordinator | 3 Credits |
Health Information Management
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
This course provides an overview of basic principles involved in management and communication. Topics include basic management principles, communication skills, interpersonal communication competence, negotiation technique, team/consensus building, professional development, and problem solving/decision-making processes. | 3 Credits |
Applications of microeconomic theory to analyze the behavior of health and healthcare markets. Topics will include: supply and demand of healthcare services, private health insurance markets, government provision of healthcare services and health insurance, and healthcare policy. | 3 Credits |
This course examines the role of the HIM professional in managing human resources to facilitate staff recruitment, retention, and supervision. | 3 Credits |
This course assimilates and integrates concepts and applications of management and leadership in healthcare, advancing on the topics covered in HIMT 355, 365, and 415. Topics will include strategic leadership concepts, exploring key factors that impact management and planning, change management, and critical organizational behaviors for leadership and management, focusing on best practices, organizational accountability, and assessment models. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 355 Principles of Management for HIMT Professionals; HIMT 365 Healthcare Economics; and HIMT 415 Human Resource Management in Healthcare | 3 Credits |
Health Information Technology
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Fundamental concepts of programming using a contemporary data analysis language. Topics include variables, conditional execution, functions and methods, iteration, strings, files, and data structures. Applications will be taken from the Healthcare Information Systems. | 3 Credits |
Analyze and design databases to support computer-based information systems. Develop and implement relational database management systems using SQL. Topics include: data-modeling techniques such as entity-relationship modeling, extended entity-relationship modeling, database constraints, database normalization techniques, and basic and advanced features of database query language SQL, etc. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 345 Programming and Software Development | 3 Credits |
Examine the concept of the data warehouse and its effectiveness in supporting strategic decision making. Address the process of creating data warehouse/data-mart solutions from the identification of the enterprise informational and analytical needs to producing business intelligence by extracting information from the data warehouse by using data-mining methods and models. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 375 Database Structures and Management Systems | 3 Credits |
This course provides fundamentals of data communications and networking techniques, and examines the linkage of information technology strategies and technological solutions enabling effective communication within and between healthcare organizations. Major topics include fundamental concepts of data communications and applications, network communication devices, basic technologies of the local-area network, wireless local-area network, wide-area network, Internet and the Web, the OSI stack, healthcare information systems standards, and the HIE, RHIN, and NHIN. Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 | 3 Credits |
Course availability for the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology varies each fall, spring, and summer. Course offerings are subject to change due to fluctuating enrollment. If you are a current student, please consult with your campus adviser prior to registration.
If the current semester is open for enrollment, admitted students may request permission numbers.
Fall 2024
Course Preview Week: August 27 - September 02, 2024
Semester Dates: September 03 - December 13, 2024
Core Courses
This course provides an overview of medical clinical workflow, with emphasis on inter-professional electronic documentation and functionalities of the electronic health record (EHR). Through hands-on experience, this course advances the students’ understanding of the electronic health record, health IT policies, data and database management systems in support of the EHR.
This course introduces three broad subjects: (1) evidence-based medical ethics pertaining to healthcare information management; (2) framework of healthcare information security management, including security principles, policies and procedures, security management models, risk assessment, and protection mechanisms; (3) healthcare regulations and compliance with focuses on the legislative systems, policies, and legal environment of healthcare in the U.S. and the existing health information laws, regulations, and standards. Also addressed are the elements and development of compliance programs.
This is an introductory course in statistical methods for the health sciences. The course will emphasize the principles of statistical reasoning, underlying assumptions, hypothesis testing, and careful interpretation of results. Some topics covered: major study designs, descriptive statistics, graphical displays of data, probability, confidence intervals and tests for means, differences of means, sample size and power, differences of proportions, chi-square tests for categorical variables, regression, multiple regression, and non-parametric statistics.
Prerequisite(s): College algebra or equivalent
This course further investigates the topics covered in HIMT 330 Health Care I: Terminology and Body Systems. On the basis of each body system, the course will further expand into the topics of human disease, human health issues, and classification of disease/health issues, including diagnostics, treatment, and clinical procedures that are currently in practice. In addition, the course will incorporate pharmacotherapeutic concepts (drugs and therapies to treat/prevent/control human disease/health issues), investigating the variety of drugs used for disease treatment for each body system. This will include the current biologicals that are used for treatment. Topics will include how the drugs and biologicals work, their limitations, and the current diversity of available drugs and biologicals.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems
This course examines the coding and reimbursement connection; topics include managed care plans, prospective payment systems, Medicare-Medicaid reimbursement, Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, case mix management, and revenue cycle management.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems; and HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments
This course explores the sources and data contents of healthcare information as well as the proper presentation of it for different usage levels. Topics addressed include: (1) data structure and use of health information (individual, comparative, and aggregate), (2) type and content of health record, (3) data quality assessment, (4) secondary data sources, (5) healthcare data sets, (6) health information archival systems, and (7) National Healthcare Information Infrastructure (NHII). The course will also cover topics in bioinformatics.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments
Covers the back-end stages of healthcare systems development life cycle through the procurement route: development of technical design specifications, procurement procedures (RFP, RFQ, vendor evaluation and selection, and contracting), systems configuration and integration, installation, conversion, operation, and maintenance. Pre-installation testing and post-conversion auditing and monitoring will be emphasized to address the upcoming requirements of federal certification of EHR systems.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 and HIMT 370 Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design
This course examines the quality assessment and quality improvement cycle (plan, do, check, act) and the role of the HIT/HIM professional in the process. Tools used in quality and risk management processes will be examined.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 350 Statistics for Healthcare
This course introduces students to the necessary group/team processes that are at the root of building, developing, and maintaining medical/healthcare work teams and the effective functioning of such teams. The course also provides an overview of leadership development techniques. Also included is a focus on the uses of various communication technologies in the team-building and functioning processes.
This course will be an introduction to healthcare information technology standards, including standards and regulations for documentation, and will cover health information standards. The course will also investigate software applications and enterprise architecture in healthcare and public health organizations.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 400: Healthcare Information and Technology—Data
This course is designed to help each student prepare for the capstone course and complete all required paperwork for submission in a timely manner. In addition to being an orientation to the capstone, the pre-capstone course serves as an RHIA/CAHIMS exam prep course. View our map of capstone sites for a list of participating capstone organizations.
Prerequisite(s): At least one semester prior to being eligible to enroll in the capstone
This course is the capstone course for both tracks of the degree program. Students are required to find an internship site that is related to healthcare and set up a semester-long project from which they can gain hands-on experience in the areas of their concentration. Project setup will be jointly done by the student, site sponsor, and the faculty of this course, whereas internship supervision will be performed by the site supervisor and the course instructor.
For inspiration and ideas, explore past capstone projects.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 420 Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Last semester of study/last course before graduation/can be concurrent; approval from academic adviser and pre-capstone coordinator
Health Information Management
This course provides an overview of basic principles involved in management and communication. Topics include basic management principles, communication skills, interpersonal communication competence, negotiation technique, team/consensus building, professional development, and problem solving/decision-making processes.
This course assimilates and integrates concepts and applications of management and leadership in healthcare, advancing on the topics covered in HIMT 355, 365, and 415. Topics will include strategic leadership concepts, exploring key factors that impact management and planning, change management, and critical organizational behaviors for leadership and management, focusing on best practices, organizational accountability, and assessment models.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 355 Principles of Management for HIMT Professionals; HIMT 365 Healthcare Economics; and HIMT 415 Human Resource Management in Healthcare
Health Information Technology
Fundamental concepts of programming using a contemporary data analysis language. Topics include variables, conditional execution, functions and methods, iteration, strings, files, and data structures. Applications will be taken from the Healthcare Information Systems.
Examine the concept of the data warehouse and its effectiveness in supporting strategic decision making. Address the process of creating data warehouse/data-mart solutions from the identification of the enterprise informational and analytical needs to producing business intelligence by extracting information from the data warehouse by using data-mining methods and models.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 375 Database Structures and Management Systems
Spring 2025
Request Permission NumberCourse Preview Week: January 21 - January 27, 2025
Semester Dates: January 28 - May 09, 2025
Core Courses
This course provides an overview of medical clinical workflow, with emphasis on inter-professional electronic documentation and functionalities of the electronic health record (EHR). Through hands-on experience, this course advances the students’ understanding of the electronic health record, health IT policies, data and database management systems in support of the EHR.
This course provides an overview of how healthcare and public health are organized and how their services are delivered in the United States. Topics to be covered include public policy (including U.S. health reform initiatives); organization of healthcare systems; components and operation of healthcare organizations, including e-health delivery; professional roles and accreditation; and legal and regulatory issues, including licensure requirements.
This course surveys essential healthcare information technologies that are used for delivering and documenting healthcare services. Popular healthcare information systems include electronic medical record systems that keep record of patients’ history; the computerized provider order-entry systems that record the history of the procurement of medications and other services; telemedicine, which allows doctors to deliver patient care from a distance; telehealth e-prescribing, which prescribes medicine electronically; medication administration, which keeps information for medical doctors and other hospital staff members; and nursing and ancillary service systems.
This course requires the purchase of EHRGo, a certified electronic medical records system.
This course will examine specific terminology and vocabulary used healthcare providers and support staff. The focus of this course is on medical terminology which covers human anatomy and physiology, body systems, and diagnoses and procedures. The structure of medical terms will be examined—such as prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combined forms. Topics will also include healthcare taxonomies and nomenclatures (ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, etc.).
Prerequisite(s): College biology or equivalent
This is an introductory course in statistical methods for the health sciences. The course will emphasize the principles of statistical reasoning, underlying assumptions, hypothesis testing, and careful interpretation of results. Some topics covered: major study designs, descriptive statistics, graphical displays of data, probability, confidence intervals and tests for means, differences of means, sample size and power, differences of proportions, chi-square tests for categorical variables, regression, multiple regression, and non-parametric statistics.
Prerequisite(s): College algebra or equivalent
This is the first course in a two-course sequence that addresses methods and techniques of healthcare information system analysis and design as performed within the system development life cycle. Included will be techniques for problem definition, requirements gathering, analysis, logical design, and selection and evaluation of alternative healthcare information systems solutions from the point of view of the health provider and user. An emphasis is placed on analysis, selection, and evaluation of information systems as they relate to healthcare.
This course requires the purchase of EHRGo, a certified electronic medical records system.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301
This course explores the sources and data contents of healthcare information as well as the proper presentation of it for different usage levels. Topics addressed include: (1) data structure and use of health information (individual, comparative, and aggregate), (2) type and content of health record, (3) data quality assessment, (4) secondary data sources, (5) healthcare data sets, (6) health information archival systems, and (7) National Healthcare Information Infrastructure (NHII). The course will also cover topics in bioinformatics.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments
Covers the back-end stages of healthcare systems development life cycle through the procurement route: development of technical design specifications, procurement procedures (RFP, RFQ, vendor evaluation and selection, and contracting), systems configuration and integration, installation, conversion, operation, and maintenance. Pre-installation testing and post-conversion auditing and monitoring will be emphasized to address the upcoming requirements of federal certification of EHR systems.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 and HIMT 370 Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design
This course addresses the phenomenal impact information system (IS) projects have had on healthcare delivery. Students learn how healthcare IS projects affect organizations, doctors, patients, and chronic-illness treatments, as well as individuals interested in managing their own healthcare. Concepts and tools for effective healthcare IS project management, process re-engineering, and work redesign are introduced. The purpose of this course is to expose students to IS project management activities in healthcare settings. Topics covered include recent healthcare IS project trends, budgeting, scheduling, resource management, scope, risk analysis, and deployment controls. The genesis of healthcare project management is covered using specific cases and examples.
This course introduces students to the necessary group/team processes that are at the root of building, developing, and maintaining medical/healthcare work teams and the effective functioning of such teams. The course also provides an overview of leadership development techniques. Also included is a focus on the uses of various communication technologies in the team-building and functioning processes.
This course will be an introduction to healthcare information technology standards, including standards and regulations for documentation, and will cover health information standards. The course will also investigate software applications and enterprise architecture in healthcare and public health organizations.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 400: Healthcare Information and Technology—Data
This course is designed to help each student prepare for the capstone course and complete all required paperwork for submission in a timely manner. In addition to being an orientation to the capstone, the pre-capstone course serves as an RHIA/CAHIMS exam prep course. View our map of capstone sites for a list of participating capstone organizations.
Prerequisite(s): At least one semester prior to being eligible to enroll in the capstone
This course is the capstone course for both tracks of the degree program. Students are required to find an internship site that is related to healthcare and set up a semester-long project from which they can gain hands-on experience in the areas of their concentration. Project setup will be jointly done by the student, site sponsor, and the faculty of this course, whereas internship supervision will be performed by the site supervisor and the course instructor.
For inspiration and ideas, explore past capstone projects.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 420 Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Last semester of study/last course before graduation/can be concurrent; approval from academic adviser and pre-capstone coordinator
Health Information Management
Applications of microeconomic theory to analyze the behavior of health and healthcare markets. Topics will include: supply and demand of healthcare services, private health insurance markets, government provision of healthcare services and health insurance, and healthcare policy.
This course examines the role of the HIM professional in managing human resources to facilitate staff recruitment, retention, and supervision.
Health Information Technology
Analyze and design databases to support computer-based information systems. Develop and implement relational database management systems using SQL. Topics include: data-modeling techniques such as entity-relationship modeling, extended entity-relationship modeling, database constraints, database normalization techniques, and basic and advanced features of database query language SQL, etc.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 345 Programming and Software Development
This course provides fundamentals of data communications and networking techniques, and examines the linkage of information technology strategies and technological solutions enabling effective communication within and between healthcare organizations. Major topics include fundamental concepts of data communications and applications, network communication devices, basic technologies of the local-area network, wireless local-area network, wide-area network, Internet and the Web, the OSI stack, healthcare information systems standards, and the HIE, RHIN, and NHIN.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301
Summer 2025
Registration Opens: March 10, 2025
Course Preview Week: May 20 - May 26, 2025
Semester Dates: May 27 - August 08, 2025
Core Courses
This course provides an overview of how healthcare and public health are organized and how their services are delivered in the United States. Topics to be covered include public policy (including U.S. health reform initiatives); organization of healthcare systems; components and operation of healthcare organizations, including e-health delivery; professional roles and accreditation; and legal and regulatory issues, including licensure requirements.
Covers the back-end stages of healthcare systems development life cycle through the procurement route: development of technical design specifications, procurement procedures (RFP, RFQ, vendor evaluation and selection, and contracting), systems configuration and integration, installation, conversion, operation, and maintenance. Pre-installation testing and post-conversion auditing and monitoring will be emphasized to address the upcoming requirements of federal certification of EHR systems.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301 and HIMT 370 Healthcare Systems: Analysis and Design
This course is designed to help each student prepare for the capstone course and complete all required paperwork for submission in a timely manner. In addition to being an orientation to the capstone, the pre-capstone course serves as an RHIA/CAHIMS exam prep course. View our map of capstone sites for a list of participating capstone organizations.
Prerequisite(s): At least one semester prior to being eligible to enroll in the capstone
This course is the capstone course for both tracks of the degree program. Students are required to find an internship site that is related to healthcare and set up a semester-long project from which they can gain hands-on experience in the areas of their concentration. Project setup will be jointly done by the student, site sponsor, and the faculty of this course, whereas internship supervision will be performed by the site supervisor and the course instructor.
For inspiration and ideas, explore past capstone projects.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 420 Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Last semester of study/last course before graduation/can be concurrent; approval from academic adviser and pre-capstone coordinator
Fall 2025
Registration Opens: April 14, 2025
Course Preview Week: August 26 - September 01, 2025
Semester Dates: September 02 - December 12, 2025
Core Courses
This course provides an overview of medical clinical workflow, with emphasis on inter-professional electronic documentation and functionalities of the electronic health record (EHR). Through hands-on experience, this course advances the students’ understanding of the electronic health record, health IT policies, data and database management systems in support of the EHR.
This course will examine specific terminology and vocabulary used healthcare providers and support staff. The focus of this course is on medical terminology which covers human anatomy and physiology, body systems, and diagnoses and procedures. The structure of medical terms will be examined—such as prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combined forms. Topics will also include healthcare taxonomies and nomenclatures (ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, etc.).
Prerequisite(s): College biology or equivalent
This course introduces three broad subjects: (1) evidence-based medical ethics pertaining to healthcare information management; (2) framework of healthcare information security management, including security principles, policies and procedures, security management models, risk assessment, and protection mechanisms; (3) healthcare regulations and compliance with focuses on the legislative systems, policies, and legal environment of healthcare in the U.S. and the existing health information laws, regulations, and standards. Also addressed are the elements and development of compliance programs.
This course further investigates the topics covered in HIMT 330 Health Care I: Terminology and Body Systems. On the basis of each body system, the course will further expand into the topics of human disease, human health issues, and classification of disease/health issues, including diagnostics, treatment, and clinical procedures that are currently in practice. In addition, the course will incorporate pharmacotherapeutic concepts (drugs and therapies to treat/prevent/control human disease/health issues), investigating the variety of drugs used for disease treatment for each body system. This will include the current biologicals that are used for treatment. Topics will include how the drugs and biologicals work, their limitations, and the current diversity of available drugs and biologicals.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems
This is the first course in a two-course sequence that addresses methods and techniques of healthcare information system analysis and design as performed within the system development life cycle. Included will be techniques for problem definition, requirements gathering, analysis, logical design, and selection and evaluation of alternative healthcare information systems solutions from the point of view of the health provider and user. An emphasis is placed on analysis, selection, and evaluation of information systems as they relate to healthcare.
This course requires the purchase of EHRGo, a certified electronic medical records system.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 301
This course examines the coding and reimbursement connection; topics include managed care plans, prospective payment systems, Medicare-Medicaid reimbursement, Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, case mix management, and revenue cycle management.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 330 Healthcare I: Terminology and Body Systems; and HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments
This course explores the sources and data contents of healthcare information as well as the proper presentation of it for different usage levels. Topics addressed include: (1) data structure and use of health information (individual, comparative, and aggregate), (2) type and content of health record, (3) data quality assessment, (4) secondary data sources, (5) healthcare data sets, (6) health information archival systems, and (7) National Healthcare Information Infrastructure (NHII). The course will also cover topics in bioinformatics.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 360 Healthcare II: Survey of Disease and Treatments
This course addresses the phenomenal impact information system (IS) projects have had on healthcare delivery. Students learn how healthcare IS projects affect organizations, doctors, patients, and chronic-illness treatments, as well as individuals interested in managing their own healthcare. Concepts and tools for effective healthcare IS project management, process re-engineering, and work redesign are introduced. The purpose of this course is to expose students to IS project management activities in healthcare settings. Topics covered include recent healthcare IS project trends, budgeting, scheduling, resource management, scope, risk analysis, and deployment controls. The genesis of healthcare project management is covered using specific cases and examples.
This course examines the quality assessment and quality improvement cycle (plan, do, check, act) and the role of the HIT/HIM professional in the process. Tools used in quality and risk management processes will be examined.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 350 Statistics for Healthcare
This course will be an introduction to healthcare information technology standards, including standards and regulations for documentation, and will cover health information standards. The course will also investigate software applications and enterprise architecture in healthcare and public health organizations.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 400: Healthcare Information and Technology—Data
This course is designed to help each student prepare for the capstone course and complete all required paperwork for submission in a timely manner. In addition to being an orientation to the capstone, the pre-capstone course serves as an RHIA/CAHIMS exam prep course. View our map of capstone sites for a list of participating capstone organizations.
Prerequisite(s): At least one semester prior to being eligible to enroll in the capstone
This course is the capstone course for both tracks of the degree program. Students are required to find an internship site that is related to healthcare and set up a semester-long project from which they can gain hands-on experience in the areas of their concentration. Project setup will be jointly done by the student, site sponsor, and the faculty of this course, whereas internship supervision will be performed by the site supervisor and the course instructor.
For inspiration and ideas, explore past capstone projects.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 420 Healthcare Systems: Project Management
Last semester of study/last course before graduation/can be concurrent; approval from academic adviser and pre-capstone coordinator
Health Information Management
This course provides an overview of basic principles involved in management and communication. Topics include basic management principles, communication skills, interpersonal communication competence, negotiation technique, team/consensus building, professional development, and problem solving/decision-making processes.
This course assimilates and integrates concepts and applications of management and leadership in healthcare, advancing on the topics covered in HIMT 355, 365, and 415. Topics will include strategic leadership concepts, exploring key factors that impact management and planning, change management, and critical organizational behaviors for leadership and management, focusing on best practices, organizational accountability, and assessment models.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 355 Principles of Management for HIMT Professionals; HIMT 365 Healthcare Economics; and HIMT 415 Human Resource Management in Healthcare
Health Information Technology
Fundamental concepts of programming using a contemporary data analysis language. Topics include variables, conditional execution, functions and methods, iteration, strings, files, and data structures. Applications will be taken from the Healthcare Information Systems.
Examine the concept of the data warehouse and its effectiveness in supporting strategic decision making. Address the process of creating data warehouse/data-mart solutions from the identification of the enterprise informational and analytical needs to producing business intelligence by extracting information from the data warehouse by using data-mining methods and models.
Prerequisite(s): HIMT 375 Database Structures and Management Systems
As a student in the UW Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology program, you will earn a concentration in either Health Information Management or Health Information Technology. Find out what skills you’ll learn in each track:
Health Information Management
Core
- Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare billing, coding, and reimbursement policies.
- Demonstrate knowledge of healthcare terminology and medical conditions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of dynamic healthcare delivery systems and regulatory environments.
- Evaluate, use, and integrate information technology to support medical decision-making and processes.
- Apply principles of healthcare privacy, confidentiality, and data security, and address legal and ethical issues.
- Apply critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and effective interprofessional communication skills related to health information management.
- Apply quantitative methodologies to process healthcare information.
- Demonstrate the principles of leadership and management in the HIMT environment.
Human Resources Management
- Manage human resources to facilitate staff recruitment, retention, and supervision.
- Ensure compliance with employment laws.
- Develop and implement new staff orientation and training programs.
- Develop and implement continuing education programs.
- Develop productivity standards for health information functions.
- Monitor staffing levels and productivity, and provide feedback to staff regarding performance.
- Benchmark staff performance data.
- Develop, motivate, and support work teams.
Financial and Resource Management
- Demonstrate knowledge of financial management and accounting principles.
- Prepare and monitor budgets and contracts.
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of cost-benefit analysis techniques to justify resource needs.
- Manage organization-wide coding and revenue cycle processes.
Strategic Planning and Organizational Development
- Develop strategic and operational plans for facility-wide information systems.
- Assess organization-wide information needs.
- Facilitate retrieval, interpretation, and presentation of data/information appropriate to user needs.
- Demonstrate and apply principles of organization behavior to facilitate team building, negotiation, and change management.
Health Information Technology
Programming and Data Structures
- Apply fundamentals of object-oriented programming to application development.
- Utilize existing code libraries to implement the appropriate data structure to meet the needs of a specific application.
- Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of various persistent file storage mechanisms: text files, binary files, serialization of objects, and XML.
- Identify and describe the tiers and the benefits of an n-tier software system.
- Be able to use a variety of persistent file–based storage strategies: text files, binary files, serialization of objects, and XML.
Data, Information, and Storage Structures
- Apply knowledge of database architecture and design (data dictionary, data modeling, data warehousing, and so on) to meet organizational needs.
- Apply knowledge of database querying and data mining techniques to facilitate information retrieval.
- Implement and manage knowledge-based applications to meet end-user information requirements.
- Design and generate administrative reports using appropriate software.
Data Security
- Enforce confidentiality and security measures to protect electronic health information.
- Protect data integrity and validity using software or hardware technology.
- Implement and manage knowledge-based applications to meet end-user information requirements.
- Recommend elements that must be included in the design of audit-trail and data-quality-monitoring programs.
- Recommend elements that should be included in the design and implementation of risk assessment, contingency planning, and data recovery procedures.
Information and Communication Technologies
- Implement and manage use of technology, including hardware and software, to ensure data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting of information.
- Contribute to the development of networks, including intranet and Internet applications to facilitate electronic health record (EHR), personal health record (PHR), and public health and other administrative records.
- Interpret the derivation and use of standards to achieve interoperability of healthcare information systems.
Tuition for the online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology program is a flat fee of $460 per credit whether you live in Wisconsin or out of state.
All courses are three credits, except for HIMT 489 which is a one-credit pre-capstone course. There are no additional course or program fees; however, textbooks are purchased separately and are not included in tuition. As this is an online program, you will not pay segregated fees for student-organized activities, facility maintenance, and operations. Also, you will not be charged a technology fee as part of this program. However, some HIMT courses require the subscription purchase of EHR Go and MedTrak.
Financial Aid
Financial aid may be available to you as a returning adult student and is awarded by your home campus. Learn more about our campus partners and choosing a home campus.
Your first step when applying for federal and state financial aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Please check with your home campus regarding minimum credits required to qualify for financial aid as a full- or part-time student.
Veteran Benefits
Benefits are available to qualifying veterans and those currently serving. Contact your home campus veteran services office for details.
Ways to Pay for Your Degree
As a returning adult student, you may consider the following sources of financial aid to help with the cost of your online degree:
- Grants—award is usually based on financial need. Grants, unlike loans, generally do not have to be repaid.
- Scholarships—usually based on academic merit, financial need, or other criteria, awarded by a wide range of organizations. Scholarships do not need to be repaid.
- Loans—a loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest. Student loans are available from the federal government, private sources such as a bank or financial institution, or other sources. Federal student loans usually have lower interest rates than private loans, and offer flexible repayment plans.
- Military benefits—aid available to eligible veterans and current members of the military.
- Tuition reimbursement—a benefit offered by companies to their employees to help pay for education. Ask your human resources department if your company offers this benefit.
- Education tax benefits—research possible tax benefits with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
UW Grants and Scholarships
You may be eligible for a grant or scholarship as a student in a semester-based collaborative program. More information can be found here.
Experience UW Health Information Management and Technology
Learn about health information management and technology, meet the faculty, read student stories, and more. Read the blog.